OECD electricity generation from wind and solar grew 16% in 2015

Oil, gas and electricity output increased in 2015 across the 34 countries that make up the OECD, initial analysis of IEA monthly data reveals, with electricity generation from wind and solar leaping by 16%.

Total OECD electricity generation was broadly flat (up 0.3% last year), with increases in wind and solar offsetting declines of around 1% in generation from combustible fuels (including coal, gas, oil, combustible renewables like biomass and ethanol, and wastes) and hydro. Nuclear generation fell by 0.5% across the OECD, with total output at 1 878.9 TWh, down 9.4 terawatt-hours (TWh). Declines in OECD Europe offset increases in OECD Asia.

The share of OECD electricity generated by renewables other than combustible renewables rose to 21.5% from 20.6% in 2014. Generation from wind grew by 77 TWh last year, with 61 TWh of the gain in OECD Europe, while solar photovoltaic (PV) grew by 27 TWh, led by a 10.4 TWh rise in OECD Americas.

‌‌Oil production (Includes crude oil, NGL, refinery feedstocks, additives and other hydrocarbons) in the OECD increased by 4.8% in 2015 to reach 1 145 million tonnes (25.2 million barrels per day). The growth was driven by US output, which jumped 9.2%, a gain of just over 50 million tonnes or 370 million barrels, to account for more than half of total OECD production. Elsewhere, a 7.1% decline in Mexican production was offset by increases in Canada and the United Kingdom. Net deliveries (consumption) of oil products in OECD countries grew by 1.2%.

OECD natural gas production rose by 2.3% last year. Again, the United States led the increase, boosting output by 5.3%, or 38.6 billion cubic meters (bcm), to a total of 768.8 bcm, while production fell 2.3% in OECD Europe and 1.8% in OECD Asia Oceania. Consumption rose 1.6% on greater use of gas to generate electricity in OECD Americas and OECD Europe.